One of the reasons we chose this property was because of the potential that it had as far as gardening was concerned. The gardens are off to a good start, I’ll definitely be expanding them every year.
We’ll start off with the foundation gardens around the house. I know there are poppies, goat’s beard, asters and a few other things growing here. The previous owner took some of the plants, which is fine with me. It will certainly be interesting to see what pops up next year.
In the front lawn, there are two ancient apple trees surrounded by a fairly lush lawn. No doubt all the chicken poo helps, since the chickens are very fond of scratching around under these trees.
There’s a small potager behind the house, it’s probably a 15 ft square. I’ll be expanding it a bit, building rock walls along the bottom edge to retain the soil, and giving it a formal feel with a four square plan.
There’s also a raised bed nested into the hillside in the back of the house. It’s above the small potager.
Up behind the garage, there’s a large main edible garden. It’s currently planted in cover crops and a few overwintering vegetables. I have big plans for this area next spring, hopefully I’ll be able to put those chickens to work tilling it up and getting rid of some of the grassy weeds.
There’s also an old fashioned out house, complete with bucket of ash sitting over a small hill across the driveway. I suppose this could come in handy should we have big garden parties some day.
There’s also a wood fired sauna sitting down below the house. We haven’t had time to fire it up yet, hopefully we will use it often this winter. It’s a sweet little building to be sure.
There are vast grassy areas around the house, they’ll be frost seeded with clovers and beneficial pasture plants in hopes that it will be well established for some hoofed friends someday. There’s also a large hillside in front of the house that’s completely cleared, we may terrace it and turn it into a permaculture garden. There’s no shortage of possibilities here at the new place, our only limitations will be time and money! It’s a good things we’re patient people.

Beautiful piece of property! Is that your barn? I love that the outhouse has a view!! :) I have too many favorite foundation plants to list, although the one I have now that we really like is Abelia…it’s semi evergreen, has the most beautiful, little, pink, blossoms that last from June till frost and the Bees and hummingbirds love it!!

I love your rocks. I mean, I am seriously envious. I don’t have a pick-up and therefore can’t get the large rocks that I’d like. Besides, yours look as though they’ve been in place for a long time.

I don’t know that I think about foundation plants. This year I have natives in one area and tomatoes growing up a trellis on my house in another area (I guess I’m just a bit schizoid there.

I do love my Maximillian sunflower, but I suspect that it isn’t a native in your area. It grows about 6 ft tall and has flowers that look a lot like black eyed susans. I use it next to my deck and fence for additional privacy. Joe Pye weed is another big one and I think it is a native back East. I also love Echinaceas.

I love your stone wall…Love this “before ” tour!!….a sauna how extravagant!…haha the outhouse a real conversation piece! You are really out in the wildsharon´s last post ..sow shall you reap….of cabbages and kale

It’s also still weird for me that your garden, in essence, dies during the winter. Being in California, that’s a strange concept. I don’t wait for anything to “pop up” in the spring, because it’s already there. HA!Turling´s last post ..No Wonder My Tomatoes Were Crap

I love the stone walls and stepping stones! In our back back yard you can probably find the remnants of an old outhouse! My grandparents didn’t get in door plumbing until about a year before I was born (1980)!!!

I think the sauna will be a perfect end to a day spent prospecting when I visit!!

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.